Steam-engine.



C. L. FOUTS.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLIoA'rIoN rILn-D Mn zu, 1902.

No MODEL.

PATENTED JULY 28, 1903.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 734,533. l l PATENTED JULY 2s, 1903. c. L. EoUTs.

STEAM ENGINE.

` APPLICATION FILED HAY 29, 1902. N0 MODL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

YN: NDRRIS PEYERS co.. PNOTOLWHQ.. wnsnws'on. u. c.

No. 734,533. l PATBNTED JULY 23, 1903..l o. L. PoUTs.

'STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY di). 1902.

N0 MODEL. 8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'n' asses 6.7 QU@ by' I fw@ f I ffc'rgzys Patented Juiyes, reos.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE LAMBERT FOUTS, OF EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM- ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 734,533, dated July 28, 1903. Application iiled May 29, 1902.' Serial No. 109,528. (No model.)

' .To all whom it' may concern:

`FOUTs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eureka, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have invented a new and useful Steam-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in two-cylinder steam-engines, andhas for its principal object to provide for the automatic exhaust of the steam from the cylinders after the pistons have reached the full outstroke and to maintain the exhaust-valve fully open until the pistons have nearly-completed the instroke, thereby relieving all back pressure on the exhausting cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the movement of the escape-valve by the direct action of the pistons and to maintain such valve in either of its two positions by the pressure of steam ,in the operatingcylinder.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide an engine in which the usual valves, stufiing-boxes, valve-stems, and the like may be dispensed with, thus rendering the mechanism more simple, less likelyto get out of order, andof more economical construction than engines of the ordinary type.

A still further object of the invention is to provide for the adjustment of the parts toregulate the amount of steam admitted to the cylinder of an engine and to provide for the adjustment of the extent of opening movement imparted to the steam-inlet valve. i

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. vl In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a compound engine constructed in accordance with the invention.` Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of one of the cylinders of the engine ena plane at right angles to that indicated in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4 of an engine of modified construction. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation illustrating a l portion of the governing device. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of onev of the governor-actuated 'cams for controlling the admission of steam to the engine.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

vReferring first to Figs. l and 2, l0 indicates the frameof the machine, comprisinga crankthe receptionot a cranked shaft 11. Above 15, the lower ends of said cylinders opening into the crank-chamber and being adapted for the reception of trunk-pistons 16, connected to the cranks by rods 17 in the usual manner. To the tops of the cylinders are secured heads 18, which preferably extend for a short-distance within the upper ends of the cylinders, the two heads being preferably .provided with a common steam-chest,to which steam or other iiuid under pressure is admitted from any suitable source of supply. Each head is provided with an opening 20, leading into the top of the cylinder, and in said opening is guided the stern 21 of a lift valve 22, which is held to its seat by the pressure of steam in the chest, except when open by the -direct contact of the upper end of the'piston withvthe valve-stem. To regulate the extent of opening movementof the valve as wellas to adjust the time of opening, the upper end of the piston is provided with an adjustable screw 22 for contact with the stem ofthe valvesaid screw being adjusted to any desired eX- tent and serving to start the opening movement of the valve at any desired point in the return stroke of the piston. For convenience in assembling the parts and for the purpose of making repairs and adjusting the screw 22' the cylinder-head is counterbored and threaded for the reception Vot a cap 23, having a suitable polygonal openingwor recess 24 for the reception ofa Wrench. `By removing this cap the valve may be readilylifted o utgand the screw 22' adjusted Ato any desiredjextent.

and the startingof the pressure-stroke of the piston the valve is raised and lowered, the quantity of steam admitted being governed by the area of the space between the head of the cylinder and the top of the piston when casing provided with suit-able bearings for4 the frame are mounted two cylinders 14 and During the completion of the return stroke the latter has reached a position to permit the closing of the valve under the pressure of steam in the steam-chest. If this area is increased, the power is also increased and the expansion diminished. To provide for the adjustment of this area, I employ removable filling-plates of varying thickness, which are secured to the under side of the cylinderhead, and withoutaltering the extent of opening movement of the valve the quantity of steam admitted may be regulated to any desired extent. The quantity of steam admitted in this manner is not of course automatically regulated; but the construction is such as to admit of the manufacture of the engines in quantities and then to employ the engine for any desired work by adjusting a plate of proper thickness to the cylinder-head, and thus regulating the power of the engine in accordance with the character of the Work it is to perform. Extending around both of the cylinders is an exhaust-port 27, having an outlet 28. The cylinder has a number of passages 29, leading into this exhaust-port, the lower walls of said openings or passages being immediately above the top of the piston when the latter has completed the pressure-stroke and permitting the discharge of the expanded steam prior to the return stroke of the engine. The exhaust-port 27 is provided with an upwardly-extended port or passage 30, leading between the two cylinders to a point near the upper ends thereof and communicates through openings 31 with both of the cylinders. At the cylinder edges of the openings are valve-seats adapted for the reception of a double valve 32, comprising a pair of valve-disks rigidly secured together by a stem 33 and so arranged that when one is closed to its seat the other will be opened to place the cylinder in communication with the exhaust-port. 'Ihe inner or cylinder surface of both valve-disks are rounded, as indicated in the drawings, and act as cams to elect the closing movement of the valves by direct contact with the pistons as the latter complete the exhausting stroke. As the piston of one cylinder nears the limit of its upward movement it comes into contact with the rounded face ot' one of the valves and closes said valve against its seat and at the same time opening the opposing valve in the other cylinder. The piston of the second cylinder is at this timejust startingits return or exhaust stroke, and perfect freedom of movement is permitted, the steam escaping through the opening 31 into the exhaust until the piston has come into contact with and moved said valve to its seat and opened the first valve to relieve back pressure in the first cylinder. When one of the valves is moved to-its seat bythe piston, such valve is retained in closed position by the pressure of steam in the cylinder during the whole of the outstroke of the piston, being opened only when the piston of the mating cylinder is about completing its return By this means all back pressure in stroke.

both cylinders is relieved, and the cylinders are kept in free communication with the exhaust-ports during the whole of the exhauststroke of the pistons without the necessity of employing any of the usual valves and auxiliary valve-operating mechanism in common use.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 I have illustrated the application to the engine of a valve-operating mechanism and means for automatically controlling the degree of opening movement of the valves in accordance with the speed of travel of the engine. The cylinders, pistons, and exhaust-valve mechanisms used in these figures are the same as that described with reference to Figs. l and 2, and corresponding parts bear similar numerals of reference. In the steam-chest 40, which is arranged at one side of the cylinders and communicates therewith through ports 4l, are valves 42, mounted on stems 43, having elongated guides formed by depending bosses 44 on the steam-chest, and suitable stufng-boxes 45 being employed to prevent the leakage of steam. At each end of the crank-casing are threaded openings for the reception of blocks 46, forming journals for the support of a hollow shaft 47, connected by suitable gearing 48 to the main crank-shaft of the engine. At one end ot' the hollow shaft, at a point outside the crank-casing, is a governor-head 49, having oppositely-disposed arms 50, provided with perforated lugs 5l, to which are pivoted arms 52, each having at one end a weight and at the opposite end a segment 53. Through the hollow shaft extends a longitudinally-movable spindle 54, to one end of which are pivoted a number of arms 55, fulcrumed at their outer ends on pins 56, carried by lugs 57, projecting from the governor-head. The arms 55 are provided with gear-teeth intermeshing with the segments 53, and the arrangement ot' the parts is such that any movement of the weights due to the action of centrifugal force will result in a longitudinal movement of the spindle 54. In order to prevent searching, as well as to adjust the sensitiveness of the governor in accordance with speed and load, the outer end of the spindle 54 is threaded for the reception of a pair of nuts 58, and on said spindle is a coiled compression-spring 59, one end of which bears against the washer 60, carried by the spindle, and the other end against a shoulder formed in the recessed end of the hollow shaft 47. To protect these parts, I employ a cap 62, adapted to suitable threads on the exterior of a boss forming part of the journal 46. In suitable openings in the upper portion ofthe crank-casing are screwed or otherwise secured a pair of bushings 63 for the reception of small cylindrical blocks G4, to which the lower ends of the valve-stems 43 are adjustably secured, the lower ends of the valve-stems being threaded and screwed into the blocks to secure the desired adjustment and then locked into position by jam-nuts 65. The lower ends of the cylindrical blocks are IOO IIO

.l movable with said spindle. VThe hollow shaft4 rounded to form con tact-faces for engagement by cam-blocks 66, carried by the spindle 54 and 47 is recessed at 67 to permit the passage of the blocks, said recesses being of sucient length to allow of longitudinal play f the cams as dictated by the governor, and the acting surfaces of the cam-blocks are so arranged as to impart differentdegrees of opening movement to the valves to regulate the quantity of steam admitted to the cylinders in accordance with the speed of the engine.

The construction of the valve-controlling cams is illustrated more clearly in Fig. 6. The actuating-shoulder 69 is arranged at an angle to the axial line of the spindle 54 and as the spindle is moved longitudinally constantly varies the width of actuating-surface in contact with the lower end of the block 64. In this manner the speed of rotation may be accurately regulated by altering the opening movement of the steam-inlet valves, while in Figs. l and2 the adjustment of the horsepower is obtained by altering the steam-space at the inlet end of the cylinders, while other adjustment or governing of the speed of the engine maybe attained by the usual governor'- actuated throttle-valve.

While the construction herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawl ings, is the preferred form of the device, it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim isl. Thecombinationinatwo-cylindersteamengine, of thecylinders having steam-inlets, pistons in said cylinders, an exhaust-port in communication with both cylinders, and a piston-actuated valve for controlling the eX- haust.

2. The combination in a two-cylinder steamengine, of the cylinders having steam-inlets, pistons in said cylinders, an exhaust-port in communication with both cylinders, and a double valve adapted topermit the escape of the exhaust alternately from tne cylinders, said valve being moved to position by direct engagement with the pistons and held in adjusted position by steam-pressure in the operating-cylinder. l Y

3. The combination in a two-cylinder en gine, of the cylinders having steam-inlets, pistons in said cylinders, anAeXhaust-port in communication with both cylinders, and a double Valve for placing the cylinders alternately in communication with the exhaust, said valve having rounded faces for engagement by the pistons and adapted to be moved thereby to closed position in one cylinder and open position in the mating cylinder.

4. The combination in a steam-engine, of a pair of open-ended cylinders having steaminlets, trunk-pistons arranged in said cylinders, an exhaust-port common to both cylinders and in communication therewith, a valve comprising a pair of valve-disks having a common stemand adapted to place the cylinders alternately in communication with the exhaust, said valve being moved alternately by the pistons and held in its adj usted position by steam-pressure, substantiallyV as specified.

5. The combination in a steam-engine, 0f a pair of open-ended cylinders having steaminlets, tru uli-pistons disposed within said cylynders, exhaust-ports communicating with said cylinders at the limits of both inward and outward movement of the pistons, and piston-actuated valves f or controlling the exhaust at the outer portions of the cylinders, substantially as specied.

6. The combination in a steam-engine, of the cylinder,a cylinder-head forming a steamchest, a lift-valve adapted to close a steampassage between the chest and the cylinder, a

piston, an adjustable screw carried by the.

piston for contact with the stem of the valve to edect the opening of the valve as the piston nears the limit of its inward movement and to maintain said valve in openv position until the piston starts on the outstroke, and a removable cap arranged in alinement with the valve and screw and forming the upper portion of the steam-chest wall, substantially as specified.

7. The combination in a steam-engine, of

IOS

the cylinder, a cylinder-head, a plurality'of removable sections of different area adapted to be secured to the cylinder-head to adjust the area of the steam-space between the cylinder-head and the piston, and a piston-actuated steam-inlet valve, substantially as specified.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE LAMBERT FOUTS. Witnesses:

H. L. RIcKs,

A. A. CAMPA. 

